I have been a Realtor in the sunny Okanagan Valley for over 5 years now. I am not a new agent and my years of experience along with the over 20 million dollars worth of Real Estate transactions that I have presided over have taught me well. I am a laid back guy and I value interpersonal relationships and experiences above all. I look forward to meeting you:-)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The following testimonials were written by real clients for the purpose of showing how using Mortgage Brokers/Bankers/Inspectors/Lawyers unknown to us can be detrimental to your purchase. We have forged very good relationships with some very skilled real estate service providers over our 15+ years in the industry. We have seen our contacts pull deals together where others could not. This is due to not only to the skills these people have honed over their careers but also the relationship we have forged with them. They always give our clients preferential treatment. This often comes in the form of price breaks but more importantly they simply work harder for our clients then people we do not know. We have their cell and home numbers and we can contact them late at night and on weekends etc. if need be. We always hope that deals simply go smoothly of course...however even the simplest deals can have unforeseen snags which come up. Simply put your ‘friend’ the mortgage broker or inspector is rarely the right person for the job when it comes to your deal. All we can say is trust us on this...we have seen how ‘friends’ or out of town brokers treat these matters...and the outcome can be disastrous for your deal...here are some examples.

We came to kelowna from out of province. We had a good working relationship with our mortgage broker from back home and he assured us that he could get our Kelowna deal together. Trever advised against an out of town broker right away...but we did not listen. Our broker said that everything was under control. Trever offered to contact the broker to confirm but we did not see the need since it sounded like a ‘slam dunk.’

Well it turned out to be anything but. We found out on the very last day of subject removal that the deal would not work. Things went from all is GREAT to it is not going to work...why did we not find out till the last day? We were so frustrated and scared that we were not going to get our dream home. Trever did not say ‘I told you so’ but I could see it in his face. He quickly made some phone calls and after we spoke to the mortgage broker he recommended we had our approval in under two hours...seriously don't risk it. Take the assistance which is offered by Trever and Jason. I wish we had done so right out of the gate. It would have saved us so much time and stress.

One of my best friends is a mortgage specialist at the bank. In fact he has been my banker nearly as long as he has been my friend. Of course I went to him to get my home purchase financed. He said that it would be no problem and he would get to the file right away. Trever and Jason contacted me daily during the subject removal period to see how the financing was going. I would call my friend and he would say I’m on it and it will not be an issue. Trever and Jason both said that ‘it should not be taking this long.’ They pressed me to speak to someone else just incase. I didn’t take their advise and on the day of subject removal my friend said ‘we are going to need an extension on the subject to financing.’ This was after nearly 2 weeks! I asked him why and he said that “I have been so busy that I did not get started on the file till yesterday and it is common practice to get extensions and should not be and issue.” Well needless to say I was upset. Trever told me that it is NOT common practice for an extension to be given and that the sellers could say ‘no’ to the request if they so chose. Thank goodness Trever and Jason had someone else in mind to help me get my financing together. With a late night of working for everybody and with the help of their mortgage broker contact I managed to get my financing approved in under 24 hours and was able to get the house I really wanted....however I wish I had chosen to work with their contact from the start. It would have saved me a LOT of stress.

We needed an inspector to check out a home for us prior to finalizing the purchase. Jason and Trever referred someone to us but we knew someone who was an inspector and simply hired them to save a few bucks and to support their business. Turns out he was not the best inspector. He made a few mistakes which we found out about after we moved in...some pretty big stuff. If we had hired an independent inspector as suggested by our realtors we could have sued for damages. However since this person is our friend we could not do anything. Well I guess we could but we would feel really bad. Needless to say we are no longer as close as we once were. Not following our realtors instruction has cost us way more money then we saved by hiring our friend.

This is not a happy story. I found the house of my dreams...the house would have been perfect for my family but it was not meant to be I guess. Long and short I chose to work with a mortgage broker I chose from the phone book. Trever and Jason cautioned me to work with someone they knew could get the deal together but I thought that since I already contacted this other broker I should stick with them. I will keep this story short and simply say that this was a huge mistake. This broker left everything till the last minute. He said “everything looks good” the whole time but had not even submitted the paperwork! Then he asked me to get an extension for a few days after a week and a half of doing NOTHING! The sellers said no to the extension request and it turned out that they had a back up offer. My deal fell apart and I did not get the house I really wanted...My family is still renting and waiting for a home as perfect as the one that got away to come back on the market. This was the most frustrating experience! This should have been easy. I mean we have the money! Anyhow needless to say we should have listened to you Trever....sorry.

If you are thinking of using a Notary instead of a lawyer STOP...I am not even going to ask any of my past clients to write me a letter saying how horrible this experience can be. What I will say is that I have not had a single deal which was being looked after by a notary EVER work out....NOT EVER!! I find this as hard to believe as I’m sure you do. In every single event the deal ended up going to a lawyer anyway...this ended up costing my clients more money then if they had simply went to the lawyer in the first place and in the worst cases I have seen deals simply die. In one case I had one of my clients get sued!!!! Trust me it is not worth the savings!

We have seen stories like these many times over the years...far to often actually. We refer our clients to people we know for no reason other then we know they are the right people for the job. We do not get paid for these referrals nor do we get any sort of kick backs...we simply know how these people do business and we find that our clients get preferential treatment. So before you opt to use your friend or family member to do a job for you think about this: How will you feel if they make a mistake and cost you money or cost you your home? How will they feel? How will your relationship look if things go wrong? Is it worth saving 100$ or 200$ to lose a friendship or miss out on the perfect home? Trust me...it isn't. Keep your friends and family as friends and family and let an independent professional do the job you need done. To take that a step further don't simply rely on a person from the phonebook or some stranger to do the job. Let us suggest someone who we know is capable to look after things handle the matters of financing, title transfer, and inspection...you will be in the best of hands.

As part of the world's largest Real Estate organization, I am proud to offer industry leading service to my clients. I would be honored if you would give me the opportunity to provide this great service to you, your friends and family.

"The SAVVY Buyer" - Step #1

Finding the right REALTOR® for you is the first step to a successful home buying experience. Like any business relationship, a personal connection with your agent will go a long way to making your experience a positive one.

Often people go about finding an agent backwards. They read a newspaper or get one of the home magazines in the supermarkets, and they call about a home they see advertised. Typically no one buys the house they initially call about, but from that point on, they're joined at the hip with a real estate agent they don't know anything about. It would be preferable to find an agent before the search begins, one who will understand what they need and can navigate the system for them.

Choose an agent you can trust, one dedicated to serving your needs, not only before and during the sale, but after the deal closes as well.

Each year, more and more people are choosing to purchase a property smaller than the one they currently own. Whether you are switching to a smaller space because your family is changing, or you would like to retire in a place that requires less maintenance, there are plenty of benefits to downsizing.

Access the Equity in your Home - Downsizing your home is a great way to convert your home equity into capital that you and your partner or family can use for whatever is needed. The money could go towards a vacation home, savings for a better retirement, or even a contribution towards your kids or grandkids' education.

Less Seasonal Maintenance - One of the most attractive benefits of downsizing to a townhouse or condo is the convenience of almost maintenance free living. In the summer, the mowing, weeding and general fussing you need to do is kept to a minimum or taken care of by your condo board. In the winter, the amount of shoveling is greatly reduced or completely eliminated.

Eliminate Empty Rooms - If you’re not making regular use of at least 70% of your home, then you could seriously consider the benefits of downsizing. The average size of a home has almost doubled in size in the past 30 years, yet the average family size keeps shrinking. Having too much space creates an imbalance that costs more that just time and money – it also means there are more floors to vacuum, more things to dust, and more rooms to organize.

Move Closer to your Passions - The size of your new home shouldn’t be the only reason for downsizing. When you are planning to scale down, consider choosing a location that will bring you closer to the places you go regularly. Whether it’s closer to family, friends, shops, or work – anything that will bring you closer to the things you love will help you cut back on time and travel expenses. Imagine how great it would be to live within walking distance to work!

Smaller Homes tend to be Greener - Homes that have a smaller footprint often require less light, heat, and air conditioning, which means you will spend less on energy. It all adds up to savings that can help the environment and keep some cash in your wallet.

An Excuse to get Rid of Clutter - The move to downsize often coincides with clearing out decades old clutter, and opting for multipurpose furnishings. Take the time to consider what you really want and need out of your home. Many people who downsize enjoy a freedom they haven’t experienced since before the arrival of kids.

While downsizing can be a daunting task, with the help of a professional it can be used to help you increase cash flow and convenience – and enjoy a simpler way of living.

AIR MILES® REWARD MILES

Century 21 is the exclusive provider of AIR MILES® Reward Miles in the Real Estate Industry.

CLIENT COURTESY MOVING VAN

We are happy to provide our clients with the use of our Century 21 moving van to make your move easier. You just pay for the gas.

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